| Aberdare | |
|---|---|
| Welsh: Aberdâr | |
| A Class 150 dmu at Aberdare | |
| Location | |
| Place | Aberdare |
| Local authority | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Operations | |
| Station code | ABA |
| Managed by | Arriva Trains Wales |
| Number of platforms | 1 |
| Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries |
|
| Annual rail passenger usage | |
| 2004/05 * | 0.464 million |
| 2005/06 * | 0.466 million |
| 2006/07 * | 0.469 million |
| 2007/08 * | 0.472 million |
| 2008/09 * | 0.506 million |
| 2009/10 * | 0.508 million |
| History | |
| 3 October 1988 | Station opens |
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| * Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Aberdare from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. | |
Aberdare railway station (Welsh: Aberdâr) is a railway station serving the town of Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is the terminus of the Aberdare branch of the Merthyr Line, 36 km (22½ miles) north of Cardiff Central. Passenger services are provided by Arriva Trains Wales.
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The station at this location (the former Aberdare High Level) was opened in 1851 and was served by the trains of the Vale of Neath, later Great Western Railway on their route between Neath and Pontypool Road. The line from Abercynon and Cardiff had been built in 1846 by the Aberdare Railway Company (later absorbed by the Taff Vale Railway) - this ran to an adjacent but separate station at Aberdare Low Level, although the two routes were later connected to each other a short distance to the west of the town at Gadlys Junction.
Passenger rail services into the town on both lines fell victim to the Beeching Axe in 1964, with the last train running on the VoN line on 13 June[1] and the ex-TVR line suffering a similar fate on 30 October. However part of the VoN line west of the town remained open for coal trains serving Tower Colliery at Hirwaun, which was then served by the former TVR line from Cardiff. This was also retained to serve various collieries and a coking plant further down the valley towards Abercynon.
Goods traffic through the ex-VoN High Level station ended in 1965 and the line fell into disuse but in August 1973 it was reopened to release the former TVR line trackbed and station site for road improvements (including the removal of an inconveniently-located level crossing). All services were diverted onto the old VoN line via a new connection between the two lines near Cwmbach and then on through the old High Level station to regain their former route at Gadlys Junction. The new connection was carried over the River Cynon on a girder bridge that had been previously been used to carry the defunct Princes Risborough to Oxford branch line across the A40 road at Wheatley, Oxfordshire.[2]
The fact that the line remained open made it possible to reinstate passenger services to the town, which started again in October 1988 using a new platform close to the old disused one. Freight continued to run several times a day from the colliery over track owned by it, until Tower Colliery's final closure on 18 January 2008. EWS still run trains to the Tower washery on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. These depart Aberdare at 7 pm on Wednesdays and 1130 on the Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, these trains are hauled by occasional Class 60s but a high proportion of these services are Class 66 hauled. Freightliner also operate stone trains to Tower but this service varies, these trains are usually hauled by a Class 66 diesel locomotive.
Announced in November 2009 the Welsh Assembly Government has asked Network Rail to conduct a feasibility study on reopening the line to Hirwaun for passenger services. Network Rail is expected to clear the line of vegatation and assess the track bed before publishing its report in 2010, before any business cases to reopen the line is then developed.[3]
It was announced in March 2011 that the Welsh Assembly Government’s 2011-12 capital programme would include the re-opening of the line to Hirwaun as part of the Cynon Valley Scheme.[4] However, there is currently no information on when the work will commence and when the line will re-open.
Along with other stations on the Merthyr Line, Aberdare has undergone construction work to lengthen the platform. This now allows four-car trains to stop at the station. The platform also has a ticket sales box and a telephone. A rail link bus is available at the station up to Rhigos. Car parking is provided at the station.
Monday to Saturdays trains from Aberdare to Barry Island via Llandaf and Cardiff Central depart every half an hour. Other major stations served include Pontypridd, Cardiff Queen Street and Barry. There are also services running to Bridgend via Cardiff Central and the Vale of Glamorgan Line.
On Sundays there is a 2 hourly service to Barry Island.
There is a dedicated rail linc bus that links with the train. It is only available to rail passengers and operates to Penywaun, Hirwaun, Cefn Rhigos and Rhigos. The rail link bus no longer operates, but planning is in place to open a new railway station at Hirwaun
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cwmbach | Arriva Trains Wales |
Terminus | ||
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